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Re: WWE's Chris Benoit found dead

A well-known professional wrestler and his family were found dead inside their house in Fayette County Monday afternoon.
Authorities confirmed that Chris Benoit, his wife Nancy and their 7-year-old son, Daniel, were found dead at the home on Quarters and Redwine roads in Fayetteville about 4 p.m.

Officials would not say how the family died, other than to say they weren't shot to death.
Benoit, a 40-year-old Canadian native maintained a home in metro Atlanta from the time he wrestled for the now-defunct World Championship Wrestling.
Most recently, Benoit fought as part of the World Wrestling Entertainment organization. WWE canceled its live show in Corpus Christi Monday night, and its broadcast of "Raw" on the USA Network was a three-hour retrospective on Benoit's career.
"Obviously, all sorts of speculation are running rampant but I have talked to so many people and nobody really knows [whether the couple was having marital troubles]," said Bryan Alvarez, who runs Figurefour Weekly, a wrestling newsletter and Web site, from Linwood, Washington.
Benoit was scheduled to appear in a pay-per-view title match Sunday night, but was a no-show due to a "family emergency," the WWE said during the broadcast.
Benoit's wife, Nancy, managed several wrestlers and went by the stage name, "Woman."
They met when her then-husband drew up a script that had them involved in a relationship as part of an ongoing storyline on World Championship Wrestling.
Soon after, the two became romantically involved in real life and married, Alvarez said.
Benoit has two other children from a prior relationship.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. - WWE wrestler Chris Benoit, his wife, and son were found dead Monday and police said they were investigating the deaths as a murder-suicide.

Detective Bo Turner told television station WAGA that the case was being treated as a murder-suicide, but said that couldn't be confirmed until evidence was examined by a crime lab.The station said that investigators believe the 40-year-old Benoit killed his wife, Nancy, and 7-year-old son, Daniel, over the weekend, then himself on Monday. A neighbor called police, and the bodies were found in three rooms.
Lead investigator Lt. Tommy Pope, of the Fayette County Sheriff's Department, told The Associated Press the deaths were being investigated as homicide, and that the causes of death awaited autopsy results on Tuesday. Pope said the bodies were discovered about 2:30 p.m., but refused to release details.
The house is in a secluded neighborhood set back about 60 yards off a gravel road, surrounded by stacked stone wall and a double-iron gate. On Monday night, the house was dark except for a few outside lights. There was a police car in front, along with two uniformed officers.
Benoit was a former world heavyweight and Intercontinental champion. He also held several tag-team titles during his career.
"WWE extends its sincerest thoughts and prayers to the Benoit family's relatives and loved ones in this time of tragedy," the federation said in a statement on its Web site.
Benoit was scheduled to perform at the "Vengeance" pay-per-view event Sunday night in Houston, but was replaced at the last minute because of what announcer Jim Ross called "personal reasons."
The native of Canada maintained a home in metro Atlanta from the time he wrestled for the defunct World Championship Wrestling.
The WWE canceled its live "Monday Night RAW" card in Corpus Christi, Texas, and USA Network aired a three-hour tribute to Benoit in place of the scheduled wrestling telecast.
"My relationship with Chris has extended many years and I consider him a great friend," Carl DeMarco, the president of WWE Canada, said in a statement. "Chris was always first-class — warm, friendly, caring and professional one of the best in our business."

Re: WWE's Chris Benoit found dead

Holy Cow.

Wasn't he going to win the title on Sunday?

None of this seems to make sense.

Honestly, I was never much of a fan (played the video games as a kid), but after this I don't even think I can bear to check the internet for updates. Benoit was an amazing in ring performing, seeing him work on saturday morning WCW in my high school years got me liking the sport a bit again. Now this...just tragic, regardless of how you feel about the business.

Re: WWE's Chris Benoit found dead

I see a lot of tributes going out to the man. I don't watch Wrestling but i know who he was. But I don't understand why all the tributes when the man killed his wife and 7 year old child. I don't understand how anyone could do that.

I think you're probably right Bball. Wrestlers today are all about the roids....

Re: WWE's Chris Benoit found dead

We don't know all the details yet, but if he did do it...wow.

It's sad, I'm trying to think of the NBA or NFL equivalent of Chris Benoit to try to relate how shocking this would be in the mainstream sports world. Here's a guy that wasn't known to the "outside world" like Hulk Hogan or the Rock but to the hardcore base, and especially internet fans, WCW, New Japan, ECW, and it seems people in the business, young and old, he was deeply loved. For him to do this seems the worst betrayal imaginable. It'd sour years of a lot of fans best memories.

This is probably the worst thing to ever happen in pro wrestling's history. And its endured a lot even in the last few years.

Re: WWE's Chris Benoit found dead

Well said, Ransom.

Most of the tributes were made before the details were known, which isn't surprising since the full details still aren't known.

For many of us who have followed the Rabid Wolverince since he had nearly a full set of teeth, this is still hard to believe. I will wait to fully condemn him until all the details are made public, but yes, it doesn't sound good and I can't even begin to fathom what forces drive a man to murder his own son and wife.

Re: WWE's Chris Benoit found dead

I'm not sympathetic to Benoit himself, although I do remember the good old days of watching him wrestle when I still had interest in the sport back in the days of WCW. I probably haven't watched wrestling since I was 15.

However, it's different to be sympathetic to Benoit himself and be saddened at the entire situation. I feel more sorry for Benoit than anything because obviously something terrible happened that led him to do this. That, or he was just always an evil person by nature, but hard to say. The whole situation is "sad" and it's hard to explain my exact emotions. Either way hating him now ain't going to bring back his wife and kid.

Re: WWE's Chris Benoit found dead

With that wide of a timeline roid rage shouldn't be the cause, more along the lines of severe depression.

I watched a little bit of Raw, mostly the interviews from other wrestlers, and I got the sense that he was a person that deeply cared about others and Triple H even talked about how big he was for respect that others deserved. From the feeling I got from them, something had to be terribly wrong with him to do such a horrible act.

Re: WWE's Chris Benoit found dead

ATLANTA -- Pro wrestler Chris Benoit strangled his wife and smothered his son before hanging himself in his weight room, a law enforcement official close to the investigation told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

AP Photo/WWE, HO

Authorities are investigating whether steroids may have been a factor in the deaths of Chris Benoit, above, his wife and child.

Authorities also said they are investigating whether steroids may have been a factor in the deaths of Benoit, his wife and their 7-year-old son. Steroid abuse has been linked to depression, paranoia, and aggressive behavior or angry outbursts known as "roid rage."

"We don't know yet. That's one of the things we'll be looking at," Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard said, adding test results may not be back for weeks.

Autopsies were scheduled Tuesday by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Authorities were investigating the deaths at a secluded Fayette County home as a murder-suicide and were not seeking any suspects. The official who described the manner of death spoke on the condition of anonymity because the information was to be released at a news conference later Tuesday.

Investigators believe Benoit (pronounced ben-WAH) killed his wife, 43-year-old Nancy, and son Daniel during the weekend and then himself Monday. The bodies were found Monday afternoon in three separate rooms of the house, off a gravel road about two miles from the Whitewater Country Club.

Nancy Benoit filed for a divorce in May 2003, saying their three-year union was irrevocably broken and alleging "cruel treatment." But she later dropped the complaint, as well as a request for a restraining order in which she charged that Benoit had threatened her and had broken furniture in their home.

In the divorce filing, she said Benoit made more than $500,000 a year as a professional wrestler and asked for permanent custody of Daniel and child support. In his response, Benoit sought joint custody.

Fayette County Coroner C.J. Mowell did not return calls seeking comment. The answering service for his funeral home said he was out of town.

Asked about the condition of the interior of the house, sheriff's Sgt. Keith Whiteside said investigators found "nothing really out of the ordinary." He said Benoit was found in the home's weight room, his wife in an office and the son in an upstairs bedroom.

Neighbors said the Benoits led a low-key lifestyle.

"We would see Chris walking in his yard from time to time. He wasn't rude, but he wasn't really outwardly warm," said Alaina Jones, who lives across the street.

Jimmy Baswell, who was Benoit's driver for more than five years, placed a white wreath at the Benoits' gate. "They always seemed like they were the happiest people," he said.

World Wrestling Entertainment said on its Web site that it asked authorities to check on Benoit and his family after being alerted by friends who received "several curious text messages sent by Benoit early Sunday morning."

The WWE, based in Stamford, Conn., said authorities asked that it not release further information on the deaths.

Benoit, born in Montreal, was a former world heavyweight champion, Intercontinental champion and held several tag-team titles. His names in the ring included "The Canadian Crippler."

"WWE extends its sincerest thoughts and prayers to the Benoit family's relatives and loved ones in this time of tragedy," the company said in a statement on its Web site.

"He was like a family member to me, and everyone in my family is taking it real hard," said fellow Canadian Bret Hart, a five-time champion with the World Wrestling Federation. The federation has since changed its name to World Wrestling Entertainment.

Benoit had maintained a home in metro Atlanta from the time he wrestled for the defunct World Championship Wrestling. The Fayette County Tax Assessors Office lists the value of the house, situated on more than 8.5 acres, at nearly $900,000.

The WWE canceled its live "Monday Night RAW" card in Corpus Christi, Texas, and USA Network aired a three-hour tribute to Benoit in place of the scheduled wrestling telecast.

Benoit's wife managed several wrestlers and went by the stage name "Woman." They met when her then-husband drew up a script that had them involved in a relationship as part of a story line on World Championship Wrestling, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.